POLICE Scotland officers are to investigate one of Norther Ireland’s most controversial “shoot-to-kill” episodes, it was revealed yesterday.

Michael Tighe was shot dead by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary

The force will probe the alleged destruction of evidence by members of the security service (MI5).

It centres on tapes made during a surveillance operation at a Co Armagh hayshed where Michael Tighe, 17, was shot dead by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1982.

After the incident, in which Martin McCauley, 19, was wounded, the recordings were found to have been concealed, then destroyed.

It is alleged they proved no warnings were shouted by officers before opening fire.

At the Court of Appeal in Belfast senior judges accused law enforcement agencies of “grave misconduct”.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: “We can confirm Police Scotland will conduct the investigation into the actions of security service personnel in relation to the withholding, concealment and destruction of surveillance evidence concerning an operation in Lurgan in November 1982.”

The eavesdropping operation was discovered by ex-deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir John Stalker, as part of his probe into allegations the RUC operated a “shoot-to-kill” policy.

Police claimed McCauley confronted them with a rifle but the Republican insisted neither he nor Tighe was armed and no warning was issued.

He was convicted of possessing rifles and given a two-year suspended sentence.

Police Scotland will appoint a chief officer to lead the investigation who will have the full delegated authority of the Chief Constable.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton

Last year the Appeal Court overturned that, ruling a senior RUC officer destroyed what he believed was the only copy of the tape.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said: “Police Scotland will appoint a chief officer to lead the investigation who will have the full delegated authority of the Chief Constable.

“At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief officer will then report to the Chief Constable for onward transmission to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Any matters which come to the attention of the Police Scotland investigation team which indicate, or appear to indicate, any sort of criminality or misconduct by current or former police officers will be referred to the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland.”

The Appeal Court judgment said the deputy head of RUC special branch had the tape and monitor logs destroyed because of the embarrassment they might cause.

It added: “In fact, an unauthorised copy of the relevant tape had been made by the Army and eventually came into the possession of the security service.

This was retained by the security service until the summer of 1985, when it was destroyed.”

McCauley was one of three republican paramilitaries sentenced in Colombia for training members of the Marxist rebel group Farc.